TIL my dishwasher was leaking for 3 weeks and I only found out when the neighbor below me knocked
I was ready to blame the builder for a bad install, but the repair guy pulled out a cracked $12 drain hose and showed me the water had been pooling under the unit since early June. Now I check under the sink every Sunday. Has anyone else had a cheap part cause way more damage than the part itself was worth?
Buddy, a cracked hose on a 12 dollar part is exactly why I tell people to stop treating appliances like they run on magic. That said, I'd push back on blaming the builder here. Three weeks of water pooling under a unit and you never noticed? Grundig and Bosch units both sit on adjustable feet with a gap you can see under, so a flashlight check takes 10 seconds. I have pulled plenty of dishwashers where the "cheap part" failed because somebody slammed the door shut or overfilled the rinse aid, not because the part was junk. A drain hose cracks from heat cycling and age, not bad luck. Checking under the sink every Sunday won't save you if you never look at the actual hose connection at the disposal.